Ice-cracker.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFFORD HARRINGTON, OF NEW YORK, AND PERCY MILLER THORN, OF WESTOHESTER, NEW YORK.

ICE-CRACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed January 18,1907. Serial No. 352,892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLIFFORD HARRINGTON, a resident of the city of New York, (Riverdale, borough of the Bronx,) in the county and State of New York, and PERCY MILLER THORN, a resident of Westchester, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, both citizens of the United States, have invented a new and Improved Ice-Cracker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devices for splitting or sub-dividing blocks of ice or other crystalline substances easily separated along lines of cleavage, and the object of the invention is to provide a tool which after being inserted a short distance in the ice, may be rotated to exert a lateral pressure against the parts on the opposite side of the inserted point, and cause the ice or other substance to readily split or subdivide much more evenly than can be accomplished by the use of an ordinary ice pick or other ice sub-dividing means.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved implement, a portion of the handle being shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the point of the implement taken in a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1.

Our improved ice cracker comprises a long straight shank 3 of cylindrical or other suitable form in cross section and having our improved form of ice sub-dividing point at one end and any suitable form of handle 4 at the opposite end. As shown, the shank is flattened slightly adjacent the handle end and the handle tightly fits the same, so that the implement may be readily rotated by means of the handle. The handle itself may be made of heavy material to constitute a weight, or may, if desired, be provided with a heavy metal cap 5 having its outer surface flush with the outer surface of the handle proper and secured in place by means of a screw 6 or other suitable means said cap serving as a weight to facilitate the working of the implement. Adjacent the opposite end of the shank 3, we provide a short helical curved portion 7, terminating in a sharp flattened point 8 extending in a direction at an angle to the main longitudinal direction of the shank or of the implement. The helical curve gradually increases in diameter from the point 8 until the curved portion has formed approximately one complete turn, and then the helical portion merges into the straight shank 3.

In employing our improved implement, the point 8 is placed on the surface of the ice, and by means of the handle 4 it is turned back and forth slightly until it has worked its way a short distance into the ice. Then while maintaining a pressure upon the outer end of the handle, the entire implement is given a half or threequarters turn and the helical portion adjacent the point exerts a lateral pressure or expanding action against the ice and causes the parts on opposite sides of the point to split apart. No pounding is required upon the outer end, and the ice need not be struck any considerable blow in inserting the point preparatory to its splitting.

The sole function of the curve is to exert a wedging or expanding action against the ice, and, as previously stated, the curve is of gradually increasing diameter, so that the further the implement is rotated, the greater will be the lateral pressure exerted.

In employing the implement in connection with very large blocks of ice, the weighted handle serves to aid in the first insertion of the point and also aids in holding the point in contact with the ice while the implement is being rotated. The implement may be made upon considerably larger scale than that illustrated in the drawings, and the device operated by power for subdividing very large blocks. In case the implement is manufactured of a larger size, it may be found desirable to employ more than a single turn to the helical curve, as a single curve might not serve to exert sufficient pressure against very large blocks of ice.

The implement serves to accomplish the desired end by rotating the same and by simultaneously exerting a pressure longitudinally of the shank 3. No twist or side movement of the device is necessary, as the short helical curve serves to accomplish the desired object and constitutes the essential portion of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an ice cracker having a handle, a shank secured thereto, and a weight in alinement with said shank, the shank being provided with a sharp pointed end portion extending at an angle thereto and a short helical portion of gradually increasing diameter adjacent said end portion.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an ice cracker, comprising a shank and a handle secured thereto, said shank having a body portion and a short helically curved portion terminating in a sharp point at an angle to the body of said shank.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLIFFORD HARRINGTON. PERCY MILLER TI-IORN.

Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, Evnnnnn B. hIARSHALL. 

